I love flowers. Love, love, love them. If I could, I would eat flowers for dessert and live in a greenhouse surrounded by them. Sometimes I actually crave flowers. A craving for their lovely colors, textures, fragrance, and myriad flowerfull beauty. I especially crave flowers in the winter and early spring when my garden is still half-dormant. When I get a flower craving what I turn to are my books on flowers and gardening. Continue reading A Craving for Flowers. Fun Few Books on Flowers
Category Archives: Book Reviews
Flourless. Recipes for Naturally Gluten-Free Desserts by Nicole Spiridakis
I don’t recall how I came upon this book really, maybe I was browsing Amazon’s book selection, or maybe I saw it in a bookstore. The title got me interested. Flourless? Really? Earlier in the year I had been thinking about baking healthier desserts (if there is such a thing) and started looking around for dessert cook books with easy recipes that were relatively “healthy.” My criteria for the cookbook had to be these: the recipes had to be easy, the ingredients had to be wholesome, and the baking had to be forgiving. Given that I am not a big baker, I like my recipes to be simple. Flourless: Recipes for Naturally Gluten-free Desserts by Nicole Spiridakis seemed to have everything I was looking for. The reviews were very good too. So I decided to take a chance and bought it, and I have to say, this cookbook is awesome. Flourless has become one of my favorite dessert cookbooks! Continue reading Flourless. Recipes for Naturally Gluten-Free Desserts by Nicole Spiridakis
Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten
I love Ina Garten. She is my all-time favorite celebrity chef. What I like about Ina Garten is her cooking style. It’s very warm and friendly, and her kitchen and garden are always so cozy and inviting. Continue reading Cooking for Jeffrey by Ina Garten
Herbal Transformations. Ancient Wisdom Revealed for Health and Longevity by Uma Swaminathan
Herbal Transformations: Ancient Wisdom Revealed for Health and Longevity Using Herbs and Spices, Yoga, Hygiene and Spirituality. The title says it all. My aunt Uma Swaminathan is the author of this wonderful book that gives you valuable information about Indian spices and herbs and also shows you how to use them to enhance the positive aspects of those spices and herbs. Continue reading Herbal Transformations. Ancient Wisdom Revealed for Health and Longevity by Uma Swaminathan
Scandinavian Baking by Trine Hahnemann
Have you heard of FIKA? I hadn’t. Not until a few months ago that is, when I was catching up on my daily world news on BBC.com. I came across an article that read Why Are Swedish Workers So Happy?. This article was about FIKA, the Swedish workplace tradition of taking a coffee break with sweet treats and chatting. In many companies in Sweden this coffee break is not only encouraged but in some offices it is actually mandatory. Research has shown that taking a work-place coffee break leads to happier and more productive employees. Continue reading Scandinavian Baking by Trine Hahnemann
Gray Mountain, by John Grisham
It’s chilly and dreary in Los Gatos, California. What? You say? In sunny California? Yes! It is winter after all. I see grey clouds today as we are expecting another bout of rain. A perfect day to read a book with a hot cup of tea.
Speaking of grey and book, here is a suggestion for a good read – Gray Mountain, by John Grisham. Hitesh recommended I read this book, but then he is a big fan of John Grisham. He has read every single book John Grisham has ever written. He said he likes Grisham’s style of writing because “he has a dry sense of humor and wit.” Continue reading Gray Mountain, by John Grisham